A Code Geass Christmas Carol
by Elite Warrior
Summary: The classic work of Charles Dickens told with the characters of Code Geass. When the cold 'Demon money-lender' Lelouch is visited by a series of specters, they take him on a whirlwind journey through time and show him the joys of the holiday he despises. Will this be enough to melt his stony heart, or will he brush it off and seal his fate? (You probably know the answer) :)
1. Intro and Disclaimers

A Code Geass Christmas Carol

Intro and Disclaimers

Hey Guys! :)

This is Elite Warrior and I am now writing my first Code Geass Fanfic. I was watching The Muppet Christmas Carol a few days ago and I got this crazy idea to try and adapt the story to the Code Geass universe! So please stay tuned for the chapters-yet-to-come.

**Disclaimer one**: I do not own 'A Christmas Carol'. If I did then I would be Charles Dickens and you would be reading what a hundred-something year old ghost is typing on a twenty-first century computer! I can assure you that I am not the ghost of Charles Dickens...Or am I?!

**Disclaimer two**: The following is a non-profit, fan-based parody made solely for entertainment purposes.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R1 and R2 and all rights to them belong to Bandai, Sunrise, Goro Tanguchi and Ichirou Okuno. Please support the official release.

Ten points if you can guess which abridger I'm referencing! **Smack!** Ow!**  
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Updates when possible. Merry Christmas every one! :)

I would like to dedicate this story to 'Demons Anarchy of Pride' and HUGELY recommend his story 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R-eset' to anyone who is a Code Geass fan. I want to wish him and his family a VERRY merry Christmas and a superbly happy new year! :)

P.S. To anyone waiting for the next chapter of my Teen Titans story 'Job Hunt', don't worry I'm not abandoning it. I'm just putting it on hold till after Christmas.


	2. Ch 1: Christmas Eve Business

**I'll try to balance out the elements of two stories that I'm combining. Some relationships between characters will be altered, and I'm not sure I will have room to put all the major Code Geass characters into roles. I promise to do my best though. So without farther a due...**

Chapter 1: Christmas Eve Business

Clovis was dead, to begin with.

There was no denying that. His burial register was signed by the clergyman Jeremiah Gottwald, the clerk Bartley Asprius, the undertaker Luciano Bradly, and the chief mourner …. Okay, a chief mourner was hard to find since he was a man of few friends and fewer sincere ones, so the closest one they could find was his half-sister Cornelia.

Clovis was as dead as a door-nail.

Mind! I don't know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the country's done for. You will therefor permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Clovis was as dead as a door-nail. (A.N. This paragraph was taken directly from the book, so the credit goes to Charles Dickens. He dose present a good point.)

Did I mention that Clovis was, without a doubt, dead?

The news of the death of this man was broadcast by news reporter Diethard Ried. The common people of Japan where startled by the news and it frightened them greatly. For if he was dead, then the ownership of his company would most likely pass to his infamous partner, Lelouch Lamperouge.

As corrupt and cruel as Clovis was, he was but an acorn to and oak compared to Lelouch. The man was all brains and no heart. Ask him to explain strategic economics and he'll give you a well thought-out (if a bit condescending) answer. Ask him for the time of day, and he will most likely charge you for an answer. In fact people would cross to the other side of the road to avoid him!

Lelouch was a man with fewer friends then even Clovis had been. In-fact, it would be completely accurate to say that he had none at all. He was a man of business first, last, and all the time between. If one looked up 'brilliant and miserly business men', his image would instantly appear.

To say that he was not handsome in appearance would be the height of blasphemy. He was thin it was true, but his air of confidence, raven black hair and piercing violet eyes well made up for it. But his heart made his hair seem white in comparison. He viewed people as only pieces on a chess board: some of more power then others, but ultimately only there to be used for the gain of the king: himself. They could be tossed away as soon as their usefulness expired.

-(Line Break, can't figure out how to make that work)-

We begin our tale two years after Clovis' passing, on December the 24th. A day marked throughout the world as a day of cheer and good-will to all mankind. However, not even the warmth of the Christmas holiday could warm ether the office or the heart of Lelouch Lamperouge. They both were as cold as ice.

Said young man (around 20 years of age) had just entered said office, not caring or not noticing the cold weather. To a man with his chilly demeanor, he felt right at home in the cold. He glanced at his clerk to make sure he wasn't trying to reach for the thermostat controls, then continued into his own office, making sure to keep the door open in order to keep his clerk under surveillance.

The clerk's name was Suzaku Kururugi. He was a lean and fit young man about the same age as his employer. He had green eyes and slightly ruffled brown hair. He was a man who would help anyone in need, whether he knew them or not. Where Lelouch saw people as pawns on a board, Suzaku saw them for what they where: human beings with lives to be respected. Lelouch suspected that he had a family at home, but saw no reason to inquire. It was of no concern or interest to him.

Scarcely had Lelouch sat down at his desk then the door flew open, letting some of the cold of winter inside. However, the one standing in the door-way had such an air of cheer about him that any discomfort at the cold was forgotten immediately. The intruder was a very tall man with stylishly combed blond hair, bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with both mischief and merriment, and a giant grin that threatened to split his head in two if it expanded so much as a centimeter.

The man announced his presence even farther with an energetic greeting: "Merry Christmas, Lelouch! How ya' doing this fine day?"

It was Lelouch's cousin, Gino Weinberg.

Lelouch simply scowled at him as he approached. "If you must know, Gino, Christmas finds me in utter contempt for it. Just as it did the past four years you have asked. Christmas?!" He grimaced, as if the word left a bad taste in his mouth. "Humbug I say!"

"Come on, don't be like that" his cousin scolded as he swung an arm around Lelouch's shoulders. "Also, no-one says that anymore. Get with the times at-least." Lelouch glared at him, but the blond's good mood could not be dampened even if he was dunked in Niagara Falls.

Lelouch asked him "What gives you the right to be happy? You're poor enough." Gino got a cheeky grin on his face and retorted "What right have you to be grouchy? You're rich enough." Lelouch opened him mouth to make some kind of reply, but found he could not. _'Curse him and his smart mouth!'_ he silently growled.

"If I could force my will upon the world (A.N.*wink wink*) then every idiot that spouts that nonsense would get run over by a Knightmare!"

Lelouch spoke up before Gino could. "And before you ask, the answer is 'no'." Gino frowned slightly at this. "Oh come on, man! Why not? It'll do you good to get out and enjoy yourself once in a century or so."

Lelouch kept his seemingly-permanent scowl on his face. "Let me celebrate the holiday in my own way, Gino." Gino gave him a confused look. "But you _don't_ celebrate it at all." "Then let me ignore the holiday in my own way!" Lelouch was fast losing his notoriously short patience.

However, Gino Weinberg was nothing if not persistent. "So are you sure you won't come this time dude? You still haven't met my wife yet. And a friend of mine is cooking for us this year!" He looked at Lelouch's thin frame. "You could use a little more then bone on you."

Lelouch groaned. "I have better things to do then hang around a bunch of intellectually-challenged common folk."

He gave his cousin a cold look. "Why did you ever get married. No, strike that, who would ever merry you? I'm amazed that she's put up with you this long." Gino got a wistful look in his eyes as he stared out the window like an idiot. "Well that just goes to show you how awesome she is." He turned to his cousin with a sincere look on his face. "I married her because I fell in love. You should try it some time. In fact, you should try out any positive emotion. It would do you good."

Once again, Lelouch retorted with a huff "Humbug." Gino sighed. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Lelouch, unfortunately, missed his cousin's reference. He tried once again to put a dampener on Gino's cheery mood. "What has Christmas ever done for you? Has it ever allowed your business to turn a profit in any ways? I thought not. And anyways, is that not the message that is spread during this season?" Gino shook his head. "If that is what you see in Christmas, then you haven't looked close enough. Christmas is a time of year when even the worst enemies can sit together and talk in peace. When the very air seems to bring warmth instead of chill. When old wounds can be heal. I believe that Christmas _has_ done me good and _will_ do me good and I say 'God Bless it'!"

At that point, Suzaku the clerk let out an involuntary cheer. Lelouch shot him a warning look, clearly stating that the next sound out of him would result in him celebrating the holiday unemployed. Suzaku sunk back into his chair.

Lelouch turned to his cousin, who _still_ had his arm wrapped around him. "You should have joined politics. They could use another ridiculous dreamer like you." Gino, who had been staring at Suzaku since his outburst, snapped back to Lelouch with a grin. "Well, if you come to my house tomorrow, there's more were that came form!" Lelouch scowled "Is there any thing _else_ you could be doing then wasting my time, Gino?" "Sadly, there is. But my invitation still stands if you change your mind. So, A merry Christmas to you-" "Good afternoon" Lelouch tried to interrupt him. "And a Happy New Year!" Gino finished anyways. Lelouch rubbed the bridge of his nose.

As Gino prepared to exit the cold office, he turned to the clerk at his desk. "Suzaku Kururugi, is that you?" he asked. The brown haired man smiled. "Gino Weinberg. How've you been? I don't think that we've seen each-other since our school days!" Gino got a nostalgic look in his eyes. "Old 'Knight of Rounds' academy. You know I hear old head-master Bismark is still there terrifying young students." Suzaku grinned. "How's everybody else doing?" he asked Gino. Gino smiled back. "Most of them will be at my party tomorrow. Why don't you join us. It'll be great having the whole gang back together." Suzaku shook his head. "I've got my own dinner plans, sorry. But we should get together some time and catch up." Gino agreed and wrote down his address and phone number for his old friend. As they headed to the door, Suzaku whispered to the taller blond. "Are the two of you really cousins?" Gino nodded. "My side of the family apparently got the better-attitude genes."

As Gino left, Suzaku waved him good-by. "Merry Christmas, Tristan." Gino waved back as they exchanged their old school code-names. "And A Happy New Year to you too, Lancelot!"

As Suzaku was about to close the door, two more people came inside. One was a young woman with blue eyes, short dark blue hair, and a kind smile on her face. The other was a young man with white hair, glasses, an intelligent yet childish gleam in his light blue eyes, and a mischievous smile on his face.

"Oh ho. It appears to be colder in here then it is outside" the tall man exclaimed. The kind-looking woman ignored him and politely asked Suzaku where they could find the owner of this business. Suzaku pointed them in the direction of Lelouch's office.

Lelouch looked up from his work, analyzed the new-comers, then returned to his notes. The woman introduced them. "Hello sir. My name is Cécile Croomy and this is my associate Lloyd Asplund. At this festive time of year, Mr. Lamperouge, there are many of us who feel that we should take care of the poor and homeless."

Her associate took this moment to make his presence known. "And we're also looking for people to invest in Knightmare research." At this, Cécile jabbed her elbow into his ribs. "Lloyd! We here to collect donations for the poor, NOT to find investors for your research." Lloyd pouted. "But can't we split it 50/50?" Cécile shook her head at her partner, then turned back to Lelouch with a smile. "What might we put you down for, sir?"

"Nothing." "You wish to remain anonymous?" Lloyd asked. "I wish to be left alone!"

Lelouch looked back at the two odd people with a bord look. "Are there no prisons?" The two of them looked surprised at his question. "No ghettos?" Lloyd and Cécile continued to stare at him as he continued. "Why waist money on those who leach off of society? Why not just order an urban renewal to take out the trash?"

Cécile and even Lloyd where taken aback by his request. But the cold-hearted business man was not done. "I pay taxes to pay for prisons, not to give hand-outs to weaklings. What is the government thinking, being generous?"

Cécile's eyes went wide. "But these are human lives we're talking about! You can't just treat them like animals or pawns! Most people would rather die then return to the ghettos!" Lelouch gave her a look that held no pity, morality, or humanity in it. "If they would rather die then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population!"

Before Cécile could slap him, there was a clatter form the other room. Suzaku had apparently snapped his pen in half due to the rising anger inside of him. He didn't want to get fired so he held his tongue, but the anger in his eyes could not be hidden.

Lloyd broke the tense silence. "Would you, perhaps, be interested in investing in Knightmare research then?" he asked hopefully. Lelouch shook his head. "I've already set up an investment with the Indian scientist Rakshata Chawla. If your Knightmares can mach hers then I'll take you into consideration." Lloyd spluttered at the mention of his competitor and arch-rival. Lelouch simply nodded towards the exit. "There is the door. You may use it."

Cécile quickly began to understand why people referred to Lelouch Lamperouge as 'The Demon Money-Lender'.

As they passed by Suzaku he wished them a Merry Christmas, which brightened all three of them up considerably. Cécile gave him a kind smile, while Lloyd leaned close to him and whispered "If you ever want to leave this place, we do have an opening for test pilots and new Devicers." He slipped him a business card. "Just don't eat anything that Cécile cooks. A F.L.E.I.J.A. could do less damage." Cécile gave her companion a smile, but Suzaku could sense that Lloyd would be paying for that remark shortly and shivered on his behalf.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. As the eve of Christmas Eve set in, Suzaku stood up from his desk, put everything in order, and walked up to his boss's desk. His posture was strait as that of a solderer. Lelouch had already predicted what this would be about.

"So you want tomorrow off then?" Suzaku answered with a "Yes sir." Lelouch looked thoughtful for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose one day a year without the hindrance of people is reward enough for me." He looked up at Suzaku. "You may have the day off. However, you must be here an hour earlier the day after. Understood, Kururugi?" Suzaku nodded.

A few minutes later, we see a tall brown-haired Japanese young man rushing home to his family, while leaving behind a man in an office at his desk working and welcoming the darkness that matched his heart.

**And that's chapter one. Sorry if I made any of the characters too OOC. It's been a while since I watched R-2. And Lloyd and Cecile are hard for me to duplicate on paper. Hope I did okay.**

**Fun Fact: the whole 'people would cross to the other side of the road to avoid talking to him' is a nod to America's founding father Benjamin Franklin. He had his own character arc in life before the war for American Independence.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it. Not sure when I'll be able to work on this withe the holidays and all, but I will do my best and I** **_will _finish this even if it's after Christmas.**

**Let me know how I'm doing and if you guys enjoyed it. Please rate and review. And of course, Merry Christmas everyone! :)**


	3. Ch 2: A Ghost Among Us

(Ch. 2: A Ghost Among Us)

**Chapter two is here at-last! Enjoy!**

Eventually, Lelouch left his office building, ate his usual melancholy meal in his usual melancholy cafe, and headed to his home. Lelouch lived in a gloomy suite of rooms in a building that was a dismal heap of brick on a dark street. It had actually once belonged to his former partner, Clovis, who, you must remember, was without a doubt dead and decayed in his grave. That one thing you must remember, or nothing that follows will seem wondrous.

There was nothing remarkable about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. Lelouch had seen it so many times that he had stopped noticing it altogether. He also gave his dead predecessor little though in general. So try to imagine his surprise, when, upon placing his key into the lock of the door, the iron knocker on the door seemed to shimmer and reform itself into the shape of Clovis' face! Lelouch blinked in surprise and the knocker returned to its original state.

To say that Lelouch was not startled would be untrue. His violet eyes narrowed in suspicion as he opened the door, half expecting to see the back of Clovis' head on the other side of the door! However, he saw nothing out of the ordinary behind the door or in the hall-way. He slammed the door after entering the house, and the sound sent echos down every hall-way. Lelouch kept the house dark to save on money, but some deep instinct told him to light the lamps. He did so, and continued up a long stair-case wide enough, ironically, for a hearse to drive up with room to spare.

After he checked every room and found nothing out of the ordinary, he decided that his strange hallucination was the result of something he ate. He would sue the cafe and find another one. The world was as it should be. He changed into a brown bathrobe for his pajamas and went to his living-room. He scanned the room for any unusual activity, then turned to get ready for bed.

As he turned to go, though, something most definitely out of the ordinary happened.

The house was equipped with those little bells used by rich Britannians to communicate with their servants before phones, or electronic devices in general, where invented. One of these bells hung on the wall of the living room for some long-forgotten purpose. The string that had once been hanging form it was long gone. So again, try to imagine Lelouch's surprise, and this time fear as well, when he heard a ringing sound behind him. He wiped around fast and saw that the bell was trembling slightly. After a few seconds he turned to leave and the ringing recommenced. He spun around again and saw that the bell was swinging and ringing on its own!

The sound increased as one by one every bell in the house began to join in the haunting call. For half a minute the noise filled the house, then abruptly ended, plunging the old house and Lelouch into an eery silence.

Then he heard the basement door close, the stairs creaking and a noise of clinking metal approaching the room where he stood.

Now Lelouch was not a man to believe in the supernatural easily without proof. He preferred to have things be logical and strategic. But even he began to doubt his fast-held beliefs. _'This could just be some high-tech prank being_ _played by someone, right?'_ he thought to himself. _'But then...why do I have this_ _sense of dread?'_ Before he could think farther, the noises stopped right out-side of the living room door. Lelouch expected the handle to turn. He was sadly disappointed. A literally ghostly figure phased right through the door into the room. Lelouch turned as pale as the specter in front of him.

There could be no doubt about it. The figure standing before him was his dead partner Clovis.

He appeared the same as he often had in life: dressed in clothes that where typically only affordable by royals, with a thin body, a very handsome (though perhaps a bit feminine) face, bright blue eyes and long blond hair.

But there where two things different about him. The first was that he was, as expected with ghosts, translucent. If Lelouch concentrated, he could see the buttons at the back on his coat through his partner's body. The second and much more noticeable change, was that his body was wrapped in what appeared to be a long chain. It wound from one shoulder to the opposite hip, wrapped around the other shoulder and hip, alternated between the two sides a few times, and wound around the hips for a few more loops. The chain was also fastened at irregular intervals with padlocks of varying size and weight. Altogether, it looked extremely heavy. Clovis' shoulders seemed to sag under the weight. Just looking at the chain filled Lelouch with dread.

Clovis' ghost looked around the room and gave Lelouch a slightly annoyed look. "Really Lelouch? What _have_ you done with my place? Where are my paintings? Don't tell me you sold them did you?" The voice was definitely that of Clovis.

Lelouch, while still wary, eased up ever so slightly. Hearing a familiar voice from a familiar face calmed him a little bit. "Is...is that you, Clovis?" he asked. The ghost smiled at him. "Ah, my old partner! Two years have passed and you look more wicked then ever. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!" The shade walked up to a chair and sat down, his chains clattering as he did so. He motioned for Lelouch to take the seat opposite him, which Lelouch reluctantly did.

Lelouch looked at him suspiciously. "How do I know that you aren't just some figment of my imagination? Or the result of food poisoning?" Clovis simply laughed. "Still skeptical of anything 'unnatural', eh Lelouch? Well I can assure you that what mortals call 'natural' is just one side of the coin. This is quiet 'natural'." Before Lelouch could react, Clovis reached across the space that separated them and clasped him on the shoulder. Lelouch stiffened. The touch of the spirit before him seemed solid enough, but sent a chill that even _he_ shivered from. Not a physical chill, one that spread through his very soul.

Clovis removed his hand from Lelouch's shoulder with a smile on his face as he stroked his cravat with the other. "Believe me now?" he asked. Lelouch fixed him with a hard glare, then reluctantly nodded. "Good" Clovis exclaimed. "Now, let us get down to business. Sadly, I do not have much time." Lelouch looked thoughtful for a moment, then decided to ask the most obvious question. "Why are you here?" What he saw next surprised him. Clovis, who in life was always an over-dramatic actor at heart, looked at him with a deadly-serious expression on his face. "To warn you, Lelouch, of what will happen to you if you don't change your ways."

Lelouch blinked. What was that now? Clovis continued. "I was so corrupt and soulless in life that the Collective Unconsciousness refused to let me stay. So as punishment, I was sentenced to wander the earth and see the people, joys and smiles that I was too stupid not to pursue. I lived only for myself, therefor I will spend eternity with only myself."

He turned to Lelouch and held up an end of the chain that was wrapped around him. "Do you see this chain, Lelouch?" Lelouch nodded. "It's kind of hard to miss" he replied dryly. Clovis continued. "This chain represents my sin in life. Each link represents an ignored opportunity to do good, a blind eye turned to those in need, and the glee of my own greed as I leached money off of those I lent to. Major offenses are punctuated by the padlocks. The unkind words, the cruelty, the greed." He groaned. "So much greed!" he lamented. "It is an ever-present reminder of the wrong I committed in life, and now I can't do anything about it! I am doomed, Lelouch!" He turned on his former partner with shame and pain on his face and in his eyes, things Lelouch had never expected to see in Clovis before. "Doomed to see the world in all its joys and possibilities and never be able to experience them for my own!"

Lelouch stared at him in shock. Was this really Clovis? He used to be so overly cheery most of the time but still a shrewd businessman who shared Lelouch's view of people being pawns. Now his ghost was looking at him with tears of pain and guilt forming in his eyes.

Lelouch's eyes widened in realization of what Clovis was saying. "Do you mean that...the same fate awaits me after my passing?" Clovis nodded. "And, spoiler alert, your chain was the size of mine two years ago. You have forged it longer, since. So your own chain will be heavier then mine."

He placed one link of his own chain in Lelouch's hand. Lelouch was shocked. It felt as if it weighed ten pounds at least! And that was just one link?

Clovis nodded solemnly. "This is the weight of guilt. A poet once said 'For all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been'."(A.N. from the poem 'Maud Muller' by John Greenleaf Whittier. Not to be confused with John Green.)

But Lelouch was a stubborn fool at times. So he refused to believe it. "What proof do you have! What concrete evidence can you give me? So I take money from the poor. Big deal! The strong devour the weak and survive! They are simply pawns in the game of life!" Clovis' look turned angry. "Can you not feel the chain being forged in your heart?! Have you erased all consciousness from you, that you don't feel even the smallest bit of guilt!? Have you become like your father!?"

That last accusation shut Lelouch up for several minuets. Then he looked at the ghost as if he intended to try and strangle the already dead man. "How...do you know about _him_?" Lelouch questioned him through clenched teeth. Clovis calmed down and answered with a small smile. "While during my brief time with the Collective Unconsciousness, I took the liberty to look into your past." Lelouch glared at him. "That was not your place to do so, ghost!"

Clovis looked at him in sympathy. "We are _both_ ghosts, Lelouch. You are but a very dull shadow of what you once were. I was surprised to see you were happy once, till you put yourself and your money first in your life. Take my word for it, it's not worth it."

The ghost then stood up from his seat. "There is another reason that I came tonight. I not only came to warn you of your fate. I also came to offer you a deal." Lelouch looked at him questioningly. "I have made a plea for your case to the Collective Unconsciousness and they have decided to give you one chance." He looked at Lelouch sternly. "_Only_ one chance, mind you!"

Lelouch released a sigh of relief and rose from his own chair. "Thank you Clovis. I should have know I could count on you." Clovis gave him an amused smile. "The solution is...that you will be haunted by three spirits tonight!" Lelouch paled at the prospect. _One_ haunting was bad enough! How could he survive _three_ more!? He looked back at Clovis and saw with annoyance that the ghost was chuckling at his bewilderment! He glared at the spirit. "That's not funny, Clovis!" he yelled. Clovis simply shrugged, causing his cursed chains to jingle as if they were laughing along with him.

"It's ether that or joining the chain-gang" he responded. Lelouch groaned, then reluctantly nodded. Clovis looked relieved to see this. "Good. Right then. Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls one. Understand?"

Lelouch still looked uncomfortable. "Must this happen? Can't I just meet them all at once and be done with it?" Clovis shook his head. "Without these visits, Lelouch, you might as well shot yourself in the head right now."

He paused, then, with unnatural speed, crossed over to Lelouch and threw his arms around him. Lelouch was startled by this. Clovis had never done this in life, and Lelouch would never have allowed it to begin with. But something was different about the ghost's touch. Instead of being cold and hopeless, the feeling spreading through his body was...warmth. A feeling so foreign to him that it took his brain a while to recognize it. Clovis was giving off this aura because he now felt...hope. Before, his touch was cold and full of disrepair. Now, the hope that he felt for his former partner has generating a feeling of warmth to flood the ghost's form and even spread to Lelouch. He even felt as if his chains where lighter then before. Touch was the easiest way to tell how a ghost is feeling, but no one ever knew that as no one has ever, to my knowledge, intentionally hugged a ghost.

"I'm glad I could talk with you again, Lelouch. I wish you the best of luck." Lelouch was about to retort that there was no such thing as luck before realizing that he was currently being hugged by the ghost of his most-definitely dead partner and had been promised to be visited by three more spirits later that night. His suspension of disbelief was steadily decreasing.

Clovis released him and turned to leave. As he reached the door he turned to Lelouch again. "By the way, what _ever_ did you do with this place? Where's my favorite arm-chair? My books? And all of my beloved paintings?" Lelouch smirked. "You'd be surprised how much people are willing to pay for furniture and books and paintings. I sold them all after your death." Clovis groaned. "Don't make me take back my offer, Lelouch!" he warned. Lelouch paled at the concept.

As the spirit of Clovis vanished through the door, Lelouch sank back into his chair. He doubted his insurance covered 'ghosts breaking and entering.' He considered writing out a will, just in chase. He glanced at the clock. It was eleven-(no insult intended)-thirty. Only one and a half hours till the first of the spirits would appear.

**I used a lot of creative license for this chapter, hope you don't mind. This is my own version of the conversation, with most of it being my own bits. Hope you guys like the 'ghost-aura' concept. I tried to add more symbolism and humor to this scene.**

**Not sure when I'll be able to work on this with all the traveling I'll be doing this Christmas, but you guys will get the whole story eventually.**

**Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Please rate and review and let me know how I'm doing so far. I'll get back to you guys as soon as I can. Up next, we will meet The Witch of Pizza (whoops, sorry. I mean) Ghost of Christmas past.**

**Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)**


	4. Ch 3: A Journey to the Past (Part 1)

Chapter 3: Journey to the Past (Part 1)

As Lelouch lay in his large, four-poster bed, he tried very hard to convince himself that his encounter with the Ghost-of-Clovis-Past was nothing more then a dream...or hallucination...or anything but reality in general.

He could not. It was simply too real to be anything other then cold fact. And that worried Lelouch to no end.

He was startled out of his musings by a series of resounding 'Bong!'s. The clock had just struck twelve-forty-five. Lelouch, now sitting bolt upright, clenched fist-fulls of sheets in his hands as his whole body tensed up. The next fifteen minuets felt like an eternity.

Finally, the clock struck one. A bright flash of light illuminated the darkness for a moment, then subsided. Lelouch apprehensively reached for the curtains hanging from his bed-posts and drew them back swiftly.

Now, when he heard the word 'spirits', Lelouch was inclined to envision a robed ghost or an elven figure, nether old nor young. What he was _not_ expecting was a girl of about sixteen with pale skin, butter-golden eyes and long lime-green hair dressed in a white prisoner's straight-jacket holding a Cheese-kun plushy under one arm while her other hand held a slice of pizza. A pizza box adorned the table nearby.

Lelouch's mouth was hung open in shock at the strange person before him. The girl simply raised a green eyebrow at him. "What? You where expecting me right? It's not like I popped in uninvited or anything." Lelouch blinked. "So you're the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" he asked. The girl nodded, keeping a rather bored look on her face. "More of an immortal then a spirit, but yes." She took a bite out of her slice of pizza.

Lelouch gave her a suspicious look. "Who are you?" he asked. The girl frowned at him, with a string of cheese trailing between her mouth and the slice. She bit it off, swallowed, then spoke. "I thought I told you, I'm the visitor that you've been expecting." Lelouch was getting impatient. "I mean, what's your name?" he clarified. A small, mischievous smile appeared on her face. _'She's toying with me!'_ Lelouch thought in outrage. "You could call me 'The Ghost of Christmas Past' if you like, but I prefer to go by the name C.C. (C2)" Lelouch frowned. "'C.C.?' What kind of name is that?" She continued to give him a _'You'll never find out'_ look that really annoyed him.

To move the conversation forward, Lelouch spoke. "What do you mean by 'Past'? Long past or recent past?" She looked him dead in the eye and answered "Your past." Lelouch scowled. The past was a touchy subject for him.

"What business has brought you here?" he asked. "Your welfare" C.C. responded. Lelouch huffed. _'A night of undisturbed sleep would_ _be of more help to that end then this annoying woman!'_ Lelouch thought to himself. "Your salvation then." Lelouch looked up, startled. _'Did she just read my thoughts?'_ he wondered in alarm. She continued to give him a blank look, but he could see mirth dancing in her eyes. He frowned.

"My time is limited." C.C. said. "Come. We have a journey to go on." Before Lelouch could protest that the weather and hour where not suitable for pedestrian purposes; or that the bed was warm and the thermometer was well below freezing; or that he was only lightly clad in his slippers, nightcap, and dressing gown, the strange woman before him reached out a hand and placed the tips of her fingers on his forehead. He thought he caught a gleam of red from under the lime locks on her forehead before a strange sensation came over him.

It was as if his consciousness was separated from his body and sent flying through a tunnel of lights and strange images. Lines like a circuit-board, two planets floating close to one another, gears connecting and turning, as well as many other still stranger sights. When it all subsided, he found himself and the 'ghost' standing on a marble pathway in a vast marble hall. On ether side of the hall hung rows and rows of large picture frames. Only, the pictures where moving. Lelouch gasped in shock. Each frame contained a scene from his past. He and his green-hared guide where standing in the hall of his memories.

Lelouch recovered from his shock long enough to wipe the pizza grease from his forehead where C.C.'s hand had been. "You could have at least wiped your hand first!" he said, trying his best not to sound shaken by what had just happened or where they currently stood. C.C. simply giggled. "You insufferable..." Lelouch fumbled to find the right word to describe her, "witch!" he finally finished. She simply gave him another sly smirk, then literally dragged him through one of the pictures on the wall.

Lelouch recognized it all too well. It was one of the scenes from his childhood. He and C.C. were standing in the living-room of a large and richly-decorated house. A young boy of about ten years old with raven black hair and violet eyes was playing over by the Christmas Tree with some Knightmare action figures. Lelouch was well familiar with it. When there was no one around to challenge to a game of Chess, he settled for leading and organizing his army of plastic war-machines. Of course, back then, the best model they had available was the Ganymede, a simple 3rd Generation Knightmare Frame. He chuckled at how far the world had come.

His laughter vanished however, when two figures entered the room. One was a woman with long hair that was the same shade as his own, and eyes that also matched his. He scowled. It was his mother, Marianne. He had eventually learned that, though she claimed to love him, she loved herself above all. He outright roared in rage at the next figure that entered the room. A large, imposing man with white hair arranged like a judge's wig, a grim expression on his face, and a cold, cruel light in his piercing violet eyes. It was his father, by birth if nothing else. He only held that title in the broadest interpretation of the word.

Still roaring in outrage, Lelouch lunged at the man, hands reaching for his throat. It would have been a bit comical, seeing a skinny young man attempt to attack a much larger and sturdier opponent, but the look in Lelouch's eye bespoke pure hatred and a murderous intent. However, he was surprised to discover that his hands had no effect on the man's windpipe, but phased right through his neck. He looked at his hands and saw that they where transparent. He looked down at his body and found that it was the same!

Before he could say anything, C.C., who had not moved from her place but simply stood watching, said "These are but shadows of your past, Lelouch. Figments lost to the flow of time that can-not be altered, only reflected on. They can neither see nor hear you." Lelouch grunted in annoyance, then stepped back to rejoin her. Together, the invisible specters stood witness to the scene that followed.

"Move aside, boy!" Charles, Lelouch's father, said. The young boy glared up at the man, unafraid of his imposing presence. There was no reason for his father to demand this. He was not in the way, he was in no danger of being tripped over, and his father did not need his spot. It was just his way of telling Lelouch to vanish from sight and not disturb them. So he asked in his own cold voice, "And may I ask why?" Charles frowned. "Your mother and I wish to have the living-room to ourselves. Now go to your room." The young boy simply kept glaring. Over by the wall, the 20-year-old specter glared along with his 10-year-old counterpart. Charles' already thin patience snapped! "You insolent little-!" He lifted his large hand and swung it towards Lelouch in a slapping motion! Before it reached him, however, something sprang into the room and knocked Lelouch out of harms way, receiving the blow itself!

Both past and present Lelouch's eyes went wide as they recognized the pink waves of hair. The small figure turned to the parents and Lelouch's heart clenched. It was a small, nine-year-old girl, with a pink and white dress decorated with roses, flowing pink hair and bluish violet eyes. It was his little sister, Euphemia. Or, as she preferred to be called, Euphie.

She looked pleadingly up at her parents, who were not phased in the slightest at what had occurred, her arms outstretched to either side in a shielding gesture. "Stop! Please. We're on our way now." She fixed her older brother with a surprisingly stern glance. "Right, Lelouch?" The sight of the red mark on her cheek from the blow she had taken on his behalf took all the fight out of the young boy. He hung his head in shame and nodded. Wordlessly, the two children gathered up the Knightmares and went upstairs to Lelouch's room. It was a well lit, spacious room with a decent sized bed, furnished with a dresser, wardrobe, and a table and chairs by the window. On the table was, of course, a chess set that was always set up and ready for Lelouch's next challenge, such as they were.

Lelouch glared at the door after his sister closed it. "He shouldn't have hit you" he growled. Euphie gave him another angry glance. "And you shouldn't have challenged him. I know how he can be, but you have to stop provoking him!" She shook her head at him. "I swear Lelouch, if this is how rebellious you are at ten, what will you be like when you hit your teens?" The young boy didn't answer, but continued to stare at the door, avoiding his sister's gaze. In another corner of the room, Present-Lelouch just kept staring at the young girl, as if she was the ghost and not him.

"She seems to care about you very much" C.C. said. Lelouch jumped. He had forgotten that she was there beside him. He went back to observing the scene before him as he whispered his response "Yes." A slight twitch came to the corners of his mouth as he continued "She was always one to scold me, but she always wanted peace and nothing more. She was always there to make this hell-hole brighter."

Meanwhile, young Euphie placed a gentle hand on her brother's cheek and turned his head to face hers. The anger had vanished from her eyes and in its place was a look of concern. _'She_ _never could stay mad for long'_ Present-Lelouch thought. _'She was_ _just too gentle for that'_. "I know that we don't have the best parents, Lelouch. But we have to try to be better then them. If you keep lashing out at those who hurt you, you'll end up just like our father." Past-Lelouch was about to protest, but closed his mouth in defeat. Euphie continued, "You shouldn't let him drag you down, Lelouch. And besides," here the little girl broke into a grin, "we get to have our own Christmas tomorrow!" Past-Lelouch's eyes brightened at that. And Present-Lelouch smiled for the first time in years. It was a small one, hardly noticeable, but it was there. "Since our parents didn't care for Christmas, we had to have it ourselves. Every Christmas we would open presents in one of our rooms, and then go down stairs for a mug of coco." His tiny smile got a tiny bit bigger. "She always got wiped-cream and I always got marshmallows."

The room suddenly became much brighter and a new scene appeared before him. It showed young Lelouch in bed under the covers, breathing lightly in his sleep as light slipped through the curtains. He rolled over a bit, then lay still. The door opened as Euphie quietly entered the room and closed the door behind her. _'That's right_' Lelouch remembered. _'It was my room's turn that year'_. He and Euphie would alternate who's room they celebrated in each year. The young girl smiled at her older brother's sleeping form and said "If only you could stay this at peace all the time. Your life would be so much better." Then, with her eyes sparkling brightly, she ran over to Lelouch's bed and began shaking him awake. "Lelouch! Get up you sleepy-head! It's Christmas Day!" The boy groaned, then opened his purple orbs. "Merry Christmas Euphie" he said with a yawn. She beamed at this and responded with a 'Merry Christmas' of her own.

"Well this is a surprise." C.C. said. "The Demon Money-Lender used to say 'Merry Christmas'? Without hesitating or flinching I might add." Present-Lelouch shot his guide a glare that would set most people trembling. She continued giving him that teasing look, took another bite out of her pizza that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and turned back to watch what happened next.

"Did you bring it?" Lelouch asked. Euphie nodded and held up the full red stocking she had brought into the room with her. Present-Lelouch actually laughed. "The 'Sibling Stockings'! I had completely forgotten about that." C.C. gave him a confused look, so he explained. "Sibling Stockings was a tradition that we made up. Our parents never did anything for us on Christmas, so each of us would fill the other one's stocking and we would exchange them on Christmas morning. Then we would open the presents that couldn't fit in the stockings." C.C. got another one of her teasing smiles. "'Sibling Stockings'?" "It was Euphie's idea!" he insisted.

He watched as he and his sister traded stockings and opened their presents. He watched as they talked, laughed and smiled. No matter how bad things got, Euphie's kindness and gentleness kept him going. It seemed as if an angle had come to live with him. After they were done, they went down to the kitchen for the coco part of their traditional Christmas. As they sat together, Euphie commented "Isn't it wonderful?" Past-Lelouch gave her a quizzical look. "Christmas." Euphie explained. "When it comes around, it brings a feeling of peace and love. People are more willing to help each-other and everyone seems happier." She looked out the window. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could always be like that?" she said, almost to herself. "She's a gentle one, isn't she?" CC asked. "That would be an understatement." Lelouch answered. "She couldn't even hate our parents. She went out of her way so many times for total strangers. All she wanted in life was to see people safe and happy." A slight tremor could be heard in his voice as he finished.

He continued. "This was the last year we spent Christmas together." "What happened after that?" C.C. inquired. Lelouch clenched his fists. "I was shipped off to a school in Japan while _they_ kept her here. They tore my sister away from me!" "Is that why you became as heartless as your father?" He whirled towards her. "Don't your dare compare me to him! And what does it matter, anyways? The past is dead and gone! You said so yourself!" The specter simply stared at him. "Gone, yes. But dead, no. Our lives are made from our choices, Lelouch. And the choices you've made have given you the life you now live. Would Euphemia be happy to see the brother that she loved so dearly now has all the money he could ever need, but a heart that is cold, hard, cruel and shielded from the world?"

Lelouch stopped dead in his tracks. He was ashamed to admit it, but he had forgotten about his dear sister. How would she react to see in him like this? No. she had probably already seen him through his reputation as an 'enthusiastic business man'. He didn't know what had happened to her after he had destroyed his father's company. He had never given her any thought. She, his only light in this dark and oppressive house, had been forgotten and ignored. He had often blamed his parents for abandoning him. It felt like a knife to his icy heart to realize that _he_ had abandoned his own sister. He felt his heart clench in a long-forgotten sensation: guilt. A drop of moisture ran from the corner of his eye down his face. "No" he said in a whisper so quiet that it almost went unheard. "She would not".

In her head, C.C. nodded in approval. The stone heart had begun to crack.

Then she smirked. "Now, was the academy you were sent to really that bad?"

**I'm BACK, GUYS! Hope you didn't mind the wait. My documents are on the family computer so it's hard to get writing time in. So updates may take a while. **

**Please let me know how I did. Rate and reviews are much appreciated. I will see you guys next time!**

**P.S. The answer to the quiz question in the 'Intro and Disclamers' section is 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Abridged' by 'DemonGroceryStore'. Check him out on youtube.**

**Happy New Year! :)**


	5. Ch 4: JTTP (Part 2) Ashford Antics

(JTTP Part 2: Ashford Antics)

**Hey Guys! Sorry this took so long!**

Last Time: _"Now, was the academy you were sent to really that bad?"_

Before Lelouch could answer, the world seemed to ripple around him and the scene changed once again. Now he and C.C. where standing outside of a large stone building with many windows, with spacious grounds blanketed with snow and a path that was lined with arched pillars leading to the gate in the wall that surrounded the area.

Lelouch recognized it immediately. "Ashford Academy!" he exclaimed.

A strange thrill ran through his body as he took in the familiar sights. The school seemed to awaken a sense of excitement within him. C.C. gave him a sidelong glance as he stared at the building. "Can you find your way to your class room?" she asked. Lelouch laughed. "Find it? I could walk these halls blindfolded!" "Strange to have forgotten it for so many years." the witch replied. Lelouch didn't answer.

They walked strait through the large wooden double-doors of the school and Lelouch led the way through the white-walled hallways. But his pace was slow, not out of uncertainty of the direction, but rather in order to saver the feeling of being reunited, albeit in a spectral form through a memory, with the place. He ran his finger tips along the walls, reacquainting himself with their patterns.

As he passed the doors of the class rooms, Lelouch was conscious of a thousand odors, each one connected with a thousand thoughts and hopes and joys and cares long long forgotten. He saw students rushing past on their way to their next class, each one eager to finish for the day in order to get to the holiday break as soon as possible. Lelouch found, to his surprise, that he recognized very many of them by name, even if he hadn't been that involved with them before. Why was he glad beyond all bounds to see them again? Why did his cold eyes glisten, and his heart leap up as they went past? Why was he filled with gladness when he heard them give each-other a 'Merry Christmas' as they parted at the cross-ways of the halls? What was 'Merry Christmas' to him? Out upon Merry Christmas! What good had it ever done him?

Finally, all the regular students went home for the day. However, the school was not deserted. Lelouch and C.C. made their way to a certain room that was more of a meeting room then a class room. As they neared the door, muffled voices could be heard from inside. Lelouch swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, then phased through the door into the room.

A group of teenagers dressed in their regular school uniforms where gathered around a table in the room, discussing the up-coming Christmas Party they had to plan (and budget for) in less then a week. It was the Student Council of Ashford Academy. And Lelouch knew them all very well.

There was a blond girl standing on the far side of the table, with her arms crossed over her well-endowed chest and a look of pure joy and mischief dancing in her blue eyes. It was the Student Council President (or 'task-master'), Milly Ashford.

Sitting at the head of the table was a boy with spiked blue hair, gray eyes and a foolish grin on his face. Lelouch felt the urge to grin back. It was his old partner-in-crime, and the Student Council Treasurer, Rivalz Cardemonde. A ridiculous last-name for a ridiculous boy.

Over in a corner, at a small desk with a computer, was a shy girl with glasses, black (AHK, sorry 'dark-green') hair and indigo eyes. She was so shy, in-fact, that it was sometimes easy to forget her presences altogether. The smartest (and shyest) girl in school, Nina Einstein.

In the chair next to Rivalz was a girl with fiery red hair and bright blue eyes. Her hair was let down and fell to her shoulders. She was sick most of the time, but that did not stop her from attending the Christmas holidays. It was Kallen Stadtfeld, the girl with rich parents and poor health.

And there, with their backs turned to the specters, sat the last two members.

The girl's face was turned from him, but Lelouch knew from the cascade of long orange hair who she was. A girl with yellowish-green eyes that where always so full of life, a pretty face and a smile that could light up even the darkest of rainy days. A girl who's enthusiasm and kindness where boundless. And she could also give a pretty good chewing-out whenever she heard about his and Rivalz's 'escapades'. It was the member of the Swim Team, Shirley Fenette.

And, of course, next to her sat a boy of sixteen that Lelouch new very well indeed. Vice president of the Student Council, Lelouch Lamperouge.

Both visitors moved around to the other side of the table to get a better view of what was going on and listened closely to what they where saying.

"Oh, come on Lelouch!" Milly said, exasperated. The black hared youth shook his head vigorously. "No, Milly. After what I went through on Valentines Day-" both past and present Lelouch shuddered violently at the memory, "I'm never dressing up for a Holiday party AGAIN!" Present-Lelouch began muttering to himself. "Wings...Toga...Heart-arrows." But Milly, also known as 'the she-devil of Ashford' for good reasons, simply hit him over the head with a rolled-up magazine that she always seemed to have at these meetings.

Rivalz, who had a pencil and note book always handy, interjected. "Oh, come on buddy. It wasn't all that bad, was it?" Lelouch shot him a horrified look. "It was _worse_ then the cross-dressing ball! And I didn't think _anything_ could top that!" C.C. raised an eye-brow at him. Her companion sighed and reluctantly explained. "Milly had an...interesting way of planning events. Frankly I'm surprised that she wasn't declared mentality-insane." He turned back to the group.

Shirley spoke up. "Well we need _someone_ to do it! And I'm already signed-up to be an Elf, so it can't be me." The Vice-President paled, and getting desperate pointed to another member. "Then why can't Kallen do it? She's not busy that weekend...is she?" The normally meek and quiet red-head shot him a dangerous look. "The last time I volunteered to participate at a school event, I was stuck in a sweltering foam tomb-stone costume for the Halloween Haunted Maze. If you even think about volunteering me to wear a beard, a coat, and a _fat-suit_, you better have your death-certificate written out." All present shivered at her tone.

Nina spoke up, or at-least spoke, at this point. "Well, since we're taking turns dressing up, then it ought to be your turn about now." Teen-Lelouch frowned. "We never established a 'turn system' for events." Milly's eyes sparkled. "Oh yes we did." "When?" Lelouch demanded. At this point Shirley jumped in. "If you had been at the meeting last month instead of running off to gamble at chess games then you would have known about that, Lulu!" C.C. giggled. "'Lulu'?" Lelouch frowned. "It was what she always called me."

"And besides," Rivalz added, "Milly got a call from your boss, Kirihara, and he said that you had the holiday off till January second!" In spite of the situation his past self was in, Present-Lelouch smiled at the thought of the man he had been apprenticed to. Taizo Kirihara was the man in charge of one of Japan's largest Sakuradite mines, who had taken Lelouch on as an intern. He was an old man with a bald head and a gnarled wooded cane that he always had with him. While he was very Japanese, he embraced the Christmas season and gave his Britannian workers the holiday off. He had taught Lelouch much about business and was impressed by the young man's sharp mind. Lelouch smiled again. He owed the man a lot, now that he thought about it. Lelouch then found himself wondering how the man was now and why on earth he hadn't kept in touch with him.

His past self, however, was just staring at his class-mates as they all turned to face him. "You're all ganging up on me!" he protested. Milly got a predatory glint in her eye. "No way out of this one, Lelouch. So, you'll do it." That last part was not phrased as a question. Lelouch, ever the stubborn one, still refused.

Suddenly, Milly sucked in a deep breath and yelled out before anyone could react "GUTS!" Everyone flinched and covered their ringing ears, even if it was too late to do any good. "Still using that 'Guts' spell?" Rivalz complained. Shirley rubbed her ears. "Seriously, Madam President! With lungs like yours, you could join the Swim Team and stay under water for a whole minute!" Milly just continued tapping her rolled up magazine into the palm of her free hand as she stood over Lelouch. He finally hung his head in defeat. "I guess there's no way out of this one" he mumbled. The she-devil grinned in triumph.

"Well I for one am looking forward to this event!" Shirley said brightly. _'Oh, grate'_ Lelouch thought to himself. _'I know where this is going'_. Since he could not warn his former class-mate about the trap she was springing on herself, he was forced to simply observe it happen again. "Supple and willing. I like that." Milly responded. The oranget gave something that was half-muscle-flex and half-fist-pump as she answered. "I work hard in the gymnastics club!" In his chair, Present-Lelouch smiled at the girls enthusiasm. "That's not what I meant" Milly replied with a smirk. Shirley looked at her, confused. "You're a ten" Milly stated, causing the other girl to give a small 'Huh?' and look down at her chest. "At least from what I've seen in the girl's bathroom. You've been filling out in all the right places" Milly said with that devilish smirk never leaving her face. Both Lelouchs blushed at the, quite true, statement. The poor girl swiftly used her arms to cover herself as she blushed a shade of red that rivaled that of Kallen's hair. Said red-head was also covering her own, _cough_ fine _cough_, figure from prying eyes as Shirley exploded in protest. "What are you talking about, you big perv?" Rivalz's perverted grin widened at the word 'big' being used to describe the blond women. (A.N. Sorry! I couldn't resist. XD) While Lelouch knew that his friend had a huge crush on the school president, he _was_ still a teenager after all. As the meeting came to an end, Shirley could be heard muttering something about the school president being a 'dirty old man on the inside'.

The scene changed yet again. The whole school was decorated with garlands, wreaths and mistletoe. Lots...of mistletoe. Specially ordered by Milly Ashford. Spectral Lelouch and C.C. where standing in the middle of the school ball room, which was filled with students, tables, chairs and food. Lelouch could see C.C.'s eyes widen at the sight of all the pizza, and decided to have some fun with her. "You know, if we had arrived at the summer school festival, you could have seen us make the largest pizza in the world." The green-hared girl whirled around to face him. "Don't tease me like that!" she said with a huff. It was Lelouch's turn to smirk. "I'm not kidding. Look at that picture on the wall, witch. You'll see that it's the truth." When the immortal looked at the picture he had pointed at, her eyes grew as large as dinner plates. Lelouch laughed as he witnessed love at first sight...between a pizza-crazed woman and a photo of a 20ft diameter multi-topping pizza.

As Lelouch looked around at all the smiling faces, he felt a strange feeling of warmth in his chest. He felt...happy. Happy to see such joy all around him. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw Sophie Wood (Shirley's room-mate) chatting away with a pink-hared girl named Miya Hillmick.

As he scanned the crowd, he spotted Rivalz pull out what looked like a champagne bottle, which earned him a glare from Kallen and a scolding from Shirley. He quickly assured them that it was simply orange soda, and the two girls settled down. Lelouch let out a sigh of relief. The student council's last encounter with champagne had ended up with a drenched (and ticked off) Kallen. Rivalz tried his best to never get the seemingly weak red-head upset at him. Being sick, it seemed, left her irritable at times.

Later, the younger Lelouch appeared in a Santa costume (which he remembered had been boiling to be in) and began handing out presents with the help of the 'elves' Shirley and Rivalz, who had both gone and changed into their outfits. C.C. noticed that Shirley would blush when ever Lelouch's hand would touch hers while passing her a present. They saw Milly directing a massive White Elephant Party (the game where everyone draws numbers, and takes turns ether opening a mystery present or stealing some one else's, and each present can only be stolen three times) for the entire school, a truly impressive feat. As he stood there and laughed along with the antics of his old friends, a flood of warmth washed over him. He began to realize that he had missed the joy of human companionship. In fact, he had almost forgotten what that had felt like.

"A wasteful endeavor." He turned to his companion in confusion at her statement. She simply gazed out at the crowd with a blank look. _'What's with this girl?'_ Lelouch wondered. _'She goes from blank to teasing and vice avers in mere seconds.' _Out loud though, he said "What do you mean?" She turned to him. "Isn't it? All this to make these silly students feel happy when they could just as easily have just celebrated in there own homes." "That's not the point." Lelouch defended, and he began unconsciously to speak like his former and not his present self. "It not about the money, C.C.. Milly and the rest of us on the Student Council had the power to make their hearts and burdens heavier or lighter. Their school experience a toil or a pleasure. To keep their spirits up or drag them down. The cost for this event, and all those like it, is worth every penny for the happiness they give. And I can see no other reward that can match it!"

As he ended his speech, C.C. continued to stare at him. Lelouch looked away. "What's the matter?" she asked. He replied that it was nothing. She persisted so he answered "I just wish I could have a few words with my clerk and two people that came into my office today. That's all." C.C. nodded.

Just then, the sound of silverware ringing against a glass could be heard. As silence descended over the crowd, Milly could be seen standing at the top of the stairs as if it where a stage and raised her glass dramatically. "Well everyone, we've had a great year this year. I can honestly say that this has been the best year I've had so far for us!" Lelouch groaned as he remembered some of the events that the blond she-devil had proposed and muttered something about 'swimsuit day disaster' and the Absolute-Silence party being unfair. Milly continued with a frighteningly-amused smile. "And I can't wait to make next year even _more_ memorable!" She raised her glass. "So let's have a toast to a Merry Christmas and a happy 2017!"

While all the students in the vast room cheered and drank to the toast, Lelouch felt as if the world had slowed down. His eyes where wide with shock and he was trembling all over. _'That year!'_ he realized. '_Then...this is the last Christmas I had at Ashford! No, it's the last Christmas I ever had!' _He turned to C.C. in shock and rage all at once. "Why? Why are you tormenting me with memories of what I had just before I lost them? First my last year with Euphie, and now Ashford!? Why are you tormenting me witch!?" She continued to stare at him, and Lelouch got the feeling that she was staring straight into his soul. Her reply was calm, but all the more bitter to Lelouch because of it. "I had to show you the joys you once had so that you could feel the full weight of what you do next." Lelouch's eyes widened in fear. He fell to his knees and grasped at her prisoner's straight-jacket. "Please!" he begged. "Do not show me that year!" But C.C.'s golden eyes remained unblinking, though sorrow danced in their depths. She closed her eyes and the word around the two of them faded.

**Well there you go! Hope you guys enjoyed it and that I did okay with the characters. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! It will be very appreciated! I would also like to thank everyone for their support! :)**

**The Rules for the White Elephant Party, or what ever you guys call it, is based on how my family plays it. We also allow a five minute time at the end where people can trade gifts with one another.**

**Also, when I was looking at each character's wiki page to get the eye colors right, I was surprised to find that Nina's hair is not black but dark green! Anyone else think it was black or am I the only one?**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Late Happy New Year! :) **


	6. Ch 5: JTTP (Part 3) Shattered Hearts

(JTTP: Shattered Hearts)

**Warning: The following chapter contains heavy emotional pain and major Shirlulu. Read at your own risk.**

As the world faded back into existence, Lelouch kept his eyes clenched tight, as if he was hoping that it would stop the vision he had been thrown into from happening. _'But that's just the problem'_, Lelouch thought. _'It did happen'_.

Finally, he dared to open his eyes and the sight he saw was burned like hot iron back into his memory.

He saw himself, at the age of seventeen, standing in the office that was his when he had joined up with Clovis four years ago. Outside the window the snow was blowing in a storm that sent up moans like some tortured soul. He was dressed in a business suit now instead of his old school uniform. Lelouch remembered that he had graduated early and set off into business for himself, all with the goal of tearing down his father's fortune in a business war for dominance.

As he let go of C.C.'s jacket and straitened himself up, he saw it. A cold, restless, greedy glint in his younger version's eyes that bespoke the passion for wealth that had taken root and had uprooted all the other joys in his life. His expression was blank, as if he had altogether abandoned his humanity.

Standing across from him was none-other then Shirley. She was dressed in a black mourning dress, as if she had just come from a funeral, which she in-fact had. Her father, Joseph Fenette, had died in a car accident as he was out looking for work. Lelouch's conquest had caused his father to lay off several men, including Shirley's own father. So, in a way, Lelouch had been responsible for her father's death. Lelouch's chest became tight at the thought.

_'She never openly blamed me'_, he thought, _'But still...how could anyone_ _forgive me for what I've done?'_. Shirley lifted her head and a sob escaped the demon as he raised a hand to his mouth. Her eyes! Those eyes that where once so full of life where now so...empty. So scared and lost. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and Shirley's feeling always shone through her's. She was completely shattered.

"Lulu" she began softly. The young man interrupted. "If you're going to speak to me, then use my proper name." Present-Lelouch's eyes widened at his tone. Had he really been that rude? He saw the hurt in Shirley's face as she continued slowly. "We...that is the rest of the Student Council...where wandering if you would like to...join us for a Christmas dinner. There won't be anyone else there. Just the old group. We haven't seen you all year." Older-Lelouch was shocked as he remembered. He had just practically murdered her father, whom she loved with all her heart, and she was inviting him to eat with her?

Younger-Lelouch simply shook his head. "I have more important things to do that evening." His older counterpart wanted to scream at him. Shirley's face, if possible, became even sadder. "We miss you, Lelouch" she said in a whisper. "I...miss you." Lelouch felt like he had been stabbed. His younger form simply huffed. "If I am to succeed in life then I must cast off all distractions." If he could see into the spectral plain, the young demon would have heard an outraged roar that would have sent a lion running. "They where the only friends you ever had and you call them 'distractions'!?"

Shirley hung her head. "So...it seems something else has replaced us in your life." "And what would that be?" the teen asked in a board tone. "...Gold and wealth." Shirley replied. Past-Lelouch's face didn't waver. "That is simply how the world works. Nothing is so hard, or so looked down upon, as poverty."

Shirley lifted her head. "You fear the world too much, Lelouch. All your other hopes have been lost and forgotten, except being above its judgment. You've been swallowed up by the need for gain." "What of it?" he retorted flatly. Over in the corner, Lelouch and C.C. couldn't take their eyes off of the strange debate between the former school-mates. The oranget shook her head. "You've changed, Lelouch. I'm not sure I know you anymore." She was on the brink of tears, but the icy heart that had grown inside of the younger Lelouch took no notice or pity. "I've grown wiser" he insisted. Present-Lelouch was ready to pounce on his younger self. "She just lost her father!" he growled. "And you dare put her through this?"

"I wish that it wasn't like this, Lelouch!" Tears where now pouring from Shirley's eyes and she made no attempt to hide them. "I just want us to all be together again! To never stop being friends! I..." Here she hesitated, then taking a shaky breath she said "I love you, Lulu."

In the corner, Lelouch fell to his knees. _'She...she still said that after everything that I did? Everything I_ _became?'_ He made no attempt to hide his sobs. His younger self, however, just raised an eyebrow. "I thought I asked you to call me by my proper name. I never want to hear that nick-name again." Present Lelouch rushed at his former self just as he had done to his father in the first memory. He squeezed at his throat, swung his fists and kicked at his former self. He didn't care anymore. It was easier to attack a phantom of his past then to admit his own guilt. C.C. paused the memory and looked on in silence. After her partner had calmed down she allowed the memory to continue.

Shirley's head was hung and she was trembling violently as she finally answered. "So...that's how you truly feel about all of us? About me?" The boy simply said "Yes" like it was the most obvious thing in the world, as if speaking to somebody lesser then himself. She lifted her head again and the loss and grief in her eyes was even worse then it was before. But she forced a smile to her face as she said "I wish you the best of luck, Lelouch. I hope...you find happiness." As she put on he coat and turned to leave she paused at the door. Without turning around she said "If...if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to any of us. My door is always open...for my friends." That statement seemed to cut out Lelouch's soul. After all that, she still considered him a friend.

After she left, younger-Lelouch simply went back to his work as if nothing happened. And later that day, he got a phone call. A phone call that informed him that his parents where bankrupt and now living on the streets. As he closed the phone, the spectral spectators heard chuckling coming from him. Dark and gleeful it was, and it filled Lelouch with horror. It soon escalated into full-blown maniacal laughter. Laughter at his victory and vengeance, and the suffering that they where feeling. Lelouch tried to cover his ears but nothing he could do could block it out. In striving to punish his parents for the wrongs they had done him, he had committed his father's sins.

"Spirit!" he called to C.C. in desperation. "No more! Please show me no more!" "One shadow more." she replied. "NO!" she screamed, but nothing he could do could stop it. The world shifted yet again, and this time he was not among the people gathered at the scene before them. What he saw was the Ashford Academy Student Council gathered together in Shirley's home for a small but warm Christmas dinner. They smiled and laughed just like the good old days, but Lelouch noticed an air of emptiness among those present. As they finally all rose to leave to their respective homes, Milly called for one last toast. "To...old friends." she said. Even her normally bright eyes seemed a bit dull as the said it. The group bowed their heads in solemn silence, then drank to the health of the one who was not present. _'The one who had_ _betrayed them.'_ Lelouch thought bitterly.

As Shirley waved them all good-by, Lelouch noticed that she was getting closer and closer to tears, but she was determined to keep her spirits up in front of her friends. She didn't want to worry them.

When at last the door was closed she was finally free to brake down. She ran to her room as tears streamed down her cheeks. She grabbed a CD from her dresser and put it in to the player. As she sat on her bed, curled up and sobbing, a light piano began to play a mournful tune. Then came the words. Word that Lelouch knew expressed what she could not say herself right now. Words that would be burned into his soul forever. Shirley sat on her bed rocking back and forth as she sang along in a broken voice.

_Couldn't save you from the start_

_Love you so it hurts my soul_

_Can you forgive me for trying again?_

_Your silence makes me hold my breath_

_Time has passed you by_

Lelouch saw from the CD cover that the artist was 'Within Temptation', but he didn't know the name of the song. As he continued watching, Shirley did something that surprised him. She reached over and pulled out the school photo album and a shoe-box. Inside the box where pictures she had collected over the years...of him. He was surprised. He knew she had a crush on him, but for that long? The song continued as the lonely girl looked at the photos as she sang along.

_Oh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world_

_Oh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own _

_Here I am left in silence_

The first words of the chorus crushed Lelouch's heart when he heard them:

_You gave up the fight_

_You left me behind_

Lelouch wanted to vanish. To be swallowed by the earth. Anything! Anything would be better then watching his friend so hurt by his actions! He figured that this was Shirley's way of blaming him for all that had happened. He didn't blame her. He deserved her hatred.

_All that's done's forgiven_

Lelouch's head snapped up so fast he almost gave him self wip-lash! _'What...what did she say?'_ He dared not hope. Even if it was part of the song there was not way she could mean it! But deep in Shirley's eyes, past all the pain and grief, was something. Something warm. And the song continued as did her singing:

_You'll always be mine_

_I know deep inside_

_All that's done's forgiven_

Lelouch couldn't believe it. Could...could it be possible? Did she really mean it? He tried to tell himself that it could not, but Shirley's eyes told a different story. Lelouch was captivated by the rest of the song as the second verse began.

_I watched the clouds drifting away_

_Still the sun can't warm my face_

_I know it was destined to go wrong_

_You were looking for the great escape_

_To chase your demons away_

_Oh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world_

_Oh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own _

_And here I am left in silence_

_You gave up the fight_

_You left me behind_

_All that's done's forgiven_

_You'll always be mine_

_I know deep inside_

_All that's done's forgiven_

Then the song swelled with emotion and she threw her head back, tears pouring from her tight shut eyes. The next words tore at Lelouch's core, each one a sharp accusation.

_I've been so lost since you've gone_

_Why not me before you?_

_Why did fate deceive me?_

_Everything turned out so wrong_

_Why did you leave me in silence?_

Lelouch felt that he couldn't take any more, but he couldn't get any words out. Tears where running down his own face as he finally understood. This was no simple crush that one cried over for one hour and then forgot about the next day. _This_...this was true heart-break. And if this was true heart-break, then she must have truly loved him. Enough to sing a song of forgiveness to the one who had torn her apart. As the last chorus played, Shirley sang out with overwhelming conviction as she stared at the pictures of her beloved.

_You gave up the fight_

_You left me behind_

_All that's done's forgiven _

_You'll always be mine_

_I know deep inside_

_All that's done's forgiven _

A tiny smile appeared on Shirley's face as she whispered "I love you, Lulu. I've forgiven you. I know that hurting people hurt other people in response, so when you're ready...I'll be here. And so will everyone else."

"C.C.!" Lelouch croaked out. "Show me no more!" C.C. looked at him in sadness. "Do you know why I wear a straight-jacket, Lelouch? It's because no one can escape from their past. You can not undo what has been done. Even if you turned your life around, it will not change the fact that you still caused her this pain. Our lives are made not by our circumstances, but by our choices and actions. The only one to blame for your current situation in life...is yourself, Lelouch."

"LEAVE ME!"

Darkness swallowed the two of them for a moment, then Lelouch found himself back in his own room again. C.C. was no where to be seen. He was alone. Completely alone in the world.

Feeling emotionally drained from the experiences he had been through, Lelouch fell down onto his bed, completely exhausted. Just as he did though, a small radio on his dresser, that he was sure had not been there before, came to life. If Shirley's song had been expressing her emotions, then Lelouch felt that this one had been somehow chosen to fit his deepest feelings at this moment.

It was 'Back to December'.

Lelouch cried himself to sleep as he thought about all the people he had so foolishly tossed aside. He hoped that the next spirit would be kinder. He also wished that he himself had been kinder.

**I do not own ether of the songs used in this chapter. 'Forgiven' is owned by Within Temptation and 'Back to December' is owned by Taylor Swift. I first heard 'Forgiven' in a youtube video: 'Lelouch X Shirley- Forgiven' by kaitokid1024. If you're a Shirlulu fan, check it out.**

**Well, one Time Section is finally done! :D Please rate and review and let me know how I'm doing. And thanks to all of you that reviewed and encouraged me! Till next time! :) **


	7. Notice and Challenge! Please read

Notice

Hey guys. This is just to let you know that I will be postponing my posts until November. I feel that it would be silly to have a Christmas story appearing on the Code Geass page in February. But don't worry.

When I started writing fanfiction, I made a promise to myself. That promise was to never leave a story unfinished! Too many amazing stories out there are left hanging! Many people start, but too few people see it through to the end!

I will not quite! I will not be one to leave my readers hanging! This is my contract to any who read my stories. Who will stand with me? Will you join me in this resolution?

See you guys in November! Thanks for the support! :) Till then, good luck and God bless!


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